Prawit behind Theerachai's rise as new Army chief
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Deputy PM wanted general from Eastern Tigers to get the top job
A LAST-MINUTE move was made to prevent General Preecha Chan-o-cha, the prime minister’s younger brother, from becoming Army chief.
Deputy Prime Minister General Prawit Wongsuwan, who is in charge of the country’s security, reportedly wanted a general from the influential Eastern Tigers clique of the Army to get the top job.
On August 20, a day before the annual military reshuffle list was submitted by Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha to His Majesty the King for endorsement, Preecha’s name was crossed out in favour of General Theerachai Nakwanich.
Theerachai, like Preecha, is also an assistant Army chief but he hails from the Eastern Tigers, whose members also include Prayut and Prawit.
Preecha was promoted to the role of defence permanent secretary.
Prawit reportedly argued that someone who can be trusted and who hails from the Eastern Tigers, known in Thai as “Burapha Phayak”, should be Army chief during this transitional period, as the National Council for Peace and Order pushes hard for reform.
In a related development, General Sommai Kaoteera was named the new Supreme Commander as expected.
Another noteworthy promotion was that of Lt-General Kampanart Ruddit, the commander of First Army Region and the new assistant Army chief.
Since the May 22 coup last year, Kampanart has played an active role in monitoring and cracking down on anti-coup and anti-monarchist elements in Bangkok and the central region.
The central region is under the First Region Army command, which played an instrumental role in last year’s Prayut-led putsch.
Lt-General Theppong Tippaya-chan was named the new commander of the First Army Region.
In another surprise reshuffle, Admiral Na Areenij was named the new Navy commander over favourite Admiral Narongpol na Bangchang.
The reason given for the decision not to promote Narongpol, an assistant Navy chief, to the top post was that he studied at a navy academy in Germany and not in Thailand.
It was reported that the top Navy post has always been occupied by a commander who graduated from the Royal Thai Naval Academy.
Narongpol had to settle for the job of deputy Navy commander.
